Gender equality

Participants of an eight-day training course for women as future mountain guides trekking at the height of 2800 meters, Gaznok mountains, the Ayni district, Tajikistan, 26 June 2021.

(OSCE/Violeta Velkoska) Photo details

To strengthen the participation of women in public and political life, the Programme Office works with Tajikistan's authorities, political parties and civil society in capacity-building programmes that support greater access to rights and opportunities. It co-operates with the police and local communities to prevent and combat domestic violence by offering training that helps police respond to cases and assists civil society in developing psychosocial and legal services for families in need. The Programme Office also supports a nationwide network of resource centres that act as crisis centres and community focal points for women and families.

Women's Participation in Public and Political Life

The work of the Programme Office on gender equality centres on empowering women and strengthening their role and participation in public and political life. The Office works with authorities, political parties and civil society in supporting greater awareness of women’s rights and supporting opportunities for them. Together with the Network of Young Tajik Gender Champions, established by the Office, it conducts peer-to-peer awareness-raising initiatives. In co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office advocates for more women to be recruited in the police. In partnership with the Association of Women Police Officers the Office raises awareness on gender-based street harassment.

Combating Domestic violence

The Programme Office supports government and civil society in creating responsive and sustainable mechanisms to combat domestic violence. In order to enable this work, the Office collaborates with a number of partners, such as the Inter-agency Commission to Combat Violence in the Family, the Interior Ministry’s Working Group on Gender Mainstreaming in the Police Reform, as well as regional multidisciplinary working groups to support and protect victims. The Office builds the capacity of relevant government bodies and civil society organizations to respond effectively to cases of violence in the family and to understand the correlation between gender stereotypes, gender and power inequalities and domestic violence. The Office supports a network of 14 Women Resource Centres that provide psycho-social and legal support to survivors of domestic violence. The Centres work to raise awareness of violence in the family in the targeted areas and empower women through different vocational courses. The Office established 15 gender-responsive police units and builds the capacity of female inspectors dealing with domestic violence issues.